The Black King
by Auranea
Summary: Akemi Kaguya is Orochimaru's spy in the Akatsuki. However, when she begins to form real connections with the organization's members will her loyalty to Orochimaru last? She finds that a compelling red haired man may play a large role in the answer. SasorixOC
1. Chapter 1

Here is goes, my very first fanfic on this site. Please read and review for me! c:

**THE BLACK KING**

Chapter One: Dark Intentions

* * *

"Well Hanako, tell me what I want to hear."

"Orochimaru-sama, it worked. The girl has developed the Shikotsumyaku as you had hoped."

The shadowy figure stopped then, baring his teeth in a malicious smile. He looked down on the petite woman standing in front of him and then directed his eyes down further to the child clutching onto her leg. The girl was perhaps nine, with scarlet hair and eyes the color of spring grass. Now those eyes shifted to meet his and he smirked inwardly at her bravery as she held his gaze.

"Are you positive? I will not tolerate any mistakes in this matter," he questioned and was promptly answered by a quick nod from the woman.

Orochimaru's lips quirked into a dark smile as he noted the woman's unease. He attributed this to the fact that she was facing him without her brother for the first time. Kabuto was always near his sister when she came to report to the snake man, but this time Hanako stood alone before him. The sannin was quite a bit more intimidating without Kabuto there to reassure her; still, she did her best to hide her discomfort.

Hanako was shaken from her thoughts by the swift movement of Orochimaru bending to his knee in front of her. Her knees quivered but she stopped them by taking a small step back, leaving the child without the cover of the woman's legs. The child did not quake in fear as the man reached out a hand to touch her face. She allowed him to touch the two strikingly red dots that resided on her forehead.

"The symbol of the Kaguya clan," he spoke, indicating the dots, "The resemblance between you and Kimimaro is truly fascinating."

"Kimimaro?" the girl asked, her scarlet eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Yes, he was your father, his death was a tragedy," Orochimaru explained frowning although his tone lacked the sympathy he tried to convey.

"Father." She said the word experimentally, getting a taste for it. "And Hanako is my mother?"

"No, Hanako is simply a caretaker, your mother was one of the many Sound ninjas that serve me."

Orochimaru reflected on the day he had asked said Sound kunoichi to seduce Kimimaro. He had found that the Kaguya man was dying and because he was the last of his clan, would be taking his unique kekkei genkai to the grave with him. Orochimaru had been very displeased at the prospect of losing the Shikotsumyaku and had hoped that the two may spawn a child with the rare bone ability.

He stood abruptly, his golden eyes still tracing over the girl in front of him. She was the fruit of his efforts; she had inherited the kekkei genkai. Akemi Kaguya, the Kaguya clan's new last of kin. Orochimaru smirked.

* * *

_Ten years later_

The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty stone halls as she passed into a large chamber. Under normal circumstances Akemi would have attempted to muffle the noise but Orochimaru requested to see her and so she suppressed the urge to be silent. It didn't take long for him to join her in what she assumed was the conference room. She took a seat in one of the few wooden chairs and waited for him to speak first out of respect.

"Ah, Akemi, you've grown since I last saw you," he commented before taking a seat next to her.

The woman confirmed his words with a sharp nod of her head that sent her short scarlet locks into her eyes. The reptilian man reached out a hand and brushed the hair away from her face before leaning closer to her. Akemi did her best not to flinch as his cold fingers skimmed across her cheek. His eyes roamed her face, searching for something before coming to rest on her own vivid green orbs. A smirk tugged at the end of his colorless lips and he rested back in the chair again.

"How old are you now?" Orochimaru inquired, still smirking.

"Nineteen, Orochimaru-sama."

"Yes, it's time. Find Kabuto, he'll explain your assignment."

The dark haired man rose from his seat, sending his tall shadow across Akemi's pale skin and making her look almost gray.

Akemi's mouth opened as if to question the mystique of his answer but instead she stood to face him and bowed before walking out of the room to search for the silvery haired medic. She had known that she was being summoned for a new task before she even stepped foot into the sannin's lair. However, something about Orochimaru's behavior had created an unease within her. She had always thought of him as a chilling individual but never had she seen such malice in a person's eyes. Then again she didn't see people often in general.

She did not live within the hideout mostly because Orochimaru did not care for the idea of having a child wandering the dark halls. Akemi lived instead with a woman named Hanako who had trained her in taijutsu and helped her to expose her talent for using the Shikotsumyaku. Her father had died, possibly before she was even born, so the majority of what she knew of her rare kekkei genkai she had discovered without help. Despite this setback Akemi had mastered the bone technique with ease.

Taijutsu was also relatively simple for her. She possessed massive amounts of stamina and the speed she was able to harness made her a natural. In a matter of a year she could defeat a jonin level ninja using only her kekkei genkai and taijutsu. After she won her first battle with Hanako, the woman had determined that Akemi was ready to learn ninjutsu.

Unfortunately, that marked the end of her learning curve. The Kaguya girl could not seem to grasp the concept of ninjutsu no matter how much time she spent on it. She had excellent chakra control and could mold her chakra after much practice but the art of ninjutsu evaded her for years. Eventually Hanako settled with just teaching her some basic elemental techniques which Akemi still did not possess an affinity for using.

A flash of silver caught her eye, shattering her reverie, and she directed her gaze to see Kabuto emerging from a door directly in front of her. She may have collided into him if she hadn't looked up in time to see the taller man. He smiled slightly at her in greeting as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, then he turned away from her and looked as if he were about to walk away. Just as she moved to put her hand on his shoulder to stop him, he turned back to face her again.

"Oh, yes, I have a mission to give you don't I?" he asked. His voice phrased it as a question but Akemi didn't answer, knowing he would launch into an explanation momentarily.

"Orochimaru-sama has decided that you will infiltrate the Akatsuki and monitor their progress in catching tailed beasts. You are not to inhibit their efforts, if anything aid them, they're eliminating a threat that our master would rather not deal with."

The scarlet haired girl took a moment to digest the information that had just been fed to her. Her infiltrate the Akatsuki? She knew exactly who they were, no further explanation required. She thought of Orochimaru's malicious eyes and understood exactly why he had seemed more fearsome today. He was entrusting her to be a spy in one of the most threatening organizations Konoha - no, the world - had ever faced. She took in a deep breath before responding.

"I accept, Kabuto-san. But how can you be sure they're recruiting?"

"We've handled that. Master has heard that they are searching for new help, it seems things have gotten difficult for them now that they're targeting more powerful jinchuriki. All you need to do is get on their radar."

"Any suggestions?"

"They typically search for ninjas around the hidden villages, seeing as that's where the majority of them are. Your best bet would be to stay around Konoha for a few weeks, chances are one of them will show up at some point."

"If I am successful, how will I communicate with you?"

"Actually, that's what this is for."

Kabuto's hand emerged from his pocket with a small ring. Akemi examined the silver item and noticed that it was carved to look like a snake devouring its tail. She recognized the symbol as the ouroboros, the serpent that swallows its own tail. Its meaning was not lost on her, it symbolized eternity, a life without end. Orochimaru's goal.

She took the ring and slid it onto each of her fingers, shaking it gently to be sure it would not come off. After testing it multiple times it came to rest on her index finger. She knew it would stay there and she silently thanked genetics for her small hands so the ring did not pinch the soft skin of her finger.

Kabuto watched her admire the simple piece of jewelry as a weak smile fought its way onto his face. He would miss Akemi while she was away and secretly he hoped she would remain safe. He had come to think of her as something like a niece to him; it made sense considering his sister acted as her mother figure. He took a step closer to her and grabbed her hand that was still fiddling with the ring. She made no movements to pull away instead looking up at him through her hair.

"You should probably learn how to use it before you play with it," Kabuto chuckled.

"Oh yeah..." Akemi blushed at her eagerness, the pink lighting up her pale skin.

"It works much like the Akatsuki rings, Orochimaru has one as well and can send you holographic messages from his ring to yours. You can view them by pulling the tail of the snake from its mouth. Its jointed in the body so it should snap open easily."

Akemi slid her hand away from his and moved it along the ring until she located the joint on the middle of the silver reptile's body. As soon as she found it she nodded her head and spoke in confirmation.

"Understood." _I promise I will not disappoint you, Orochimaru-sama._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two is a bit longer, hope you like it!

Please remember to review after you read, I'd really appreciate it. (The feedback keeps me going.)

**THE BLACK KING**

Chapter Two: A Chance Encounter

* * *

Akemi ran a hand through her ruby hair, brushing back choppy bangs with her slender fingers. She had been skulking on the boundaries of Konoha for a few weeks at this point but there had been no indication of Akatsuki activity in the area. She felt doubt slither into her mind, would the S-ranked criminals really make such a bold move as to intrude on hostile territory?

Perhaps Orochimaru had been wrong and the criminal organization didn't plan on scouting around hidden villages for new recruits.

Just as she was beginning to question the credibility of her lord's informants a hurried rustle sounded from the trees around her interrupting any such thoughts. She had established a sort of camp in the trees a little ways south of Konoha's gates, it was a protected area and from her vantage point in the tall oaks she could see the most frequently used road. She had harbored suspicions that the Akatsuki would take less travelled paths though and made sure to survey those daily as well.

Traffic in and out of the bustling village had been slow, despite the village's own hectic nature. Akemi had drifted within range of it at one place and had looked down to see civilians scurrying around the markets, weaving in and out of stores and through stands. She had been a little star struck to be honest, in her nineteen years of living the introverted girl had never seen so many people in one area!

Akemi removed a kunai from the pouch resting at her hip on reflex at the sound of movement but she relaxed when the noise faltered. She had received proper ninja gear from Kabuto before she left Orochimaru's dank lair. The emerald eyed girl had been relieved to remove herself from the stifled underground air and so she did not question the choice of clothing provided to her.

Now she wore a red halter top and fitted black pants that stretched to her ankle just skirting the top of her sandals. There was nothing particularly special about the outfit although it did draw attention to the lean muscles of her stomach.

Thought not inherently shy, Akemi may have preferred a less revealing top, not that she was particularly busty in the first place. But if she were to wear a full shirt it would only be mangled if she decided to use her rib bones for battle. And speaking of which, the rustling which she previously assumed to be birds was beginning to near her. Probably only a few meters away by this point.

A frown pulled at her full pink lips and she couldn't help but nibble the soft flesh to ease her nerves. Leaf patrols didn't often come this far so who would be approaching so rapidly at this time of night?

Concealing herself in the shadows of the tree she had been resting in, Akemi maneuvered into a defensive stance. Her kunai shifted instinctively in her hand so that the lethal point faced the disruption. She suspected that whoever it was didn't know she was there yet; she had the advantage should it be a shinobi from the Leaf.

As a dark figure broke away from a particularly thick cluster of trees its hitai-ate gleamed in the pale moonlight. The symbol was indeed for the Leaf. Akemi hesitated but knew better than to chance being discovered.

She summoned her pale blue chakra to the surface of her right hand before pushing it through the hilt and into the blade of the weapon. Akemi exhaled, throwing the chakra imbued kunai directly at the man as he paused to gather his bearings. Her accuracy proved to be excellent as the weapon tore through the ninja's neck and imbedded itself in the trunk of a nearby tree.

Akemi jumped down from her hiding place into the small patch of moonlight, one hand rising to push back her ruby locks. The hand was then relocated coming to rest on her hip as she gazed down at her handiwork. It was a ragged wound, his neck had been shredded on impact due to the raging chakra. She made a mental note to work on keeping her chakra stable before crouching down to take a closer look.

Blood gushed from the fatal laceration, staining the ground scarlet. The soft glow resonating from the shaft of moonlight made it seem almost surreal. The way it reflected off the man's lifeblood sent a chill along her spine. She took a moment to question the ease of the kill. This shinobi seemed to be fairly experienced, what could have sent him into a such a rush that he completely dropped his guard?

"What the _fuck_!"

Akemi whirled around, startled by the sudden voice from behind her which had sounded equally surprised. Her nimble hands acted on their own accord, reaching into her pouch to seize a few shuriken between her fingers. She sent them flying in the direction of the outraged expression.

She heard the clang of steel on steel and knew that the feeble attack had been easily guarded. Now she could see the wicked edges of a three-pronged scythe materializing from the wispy shadows. Two men emerged to stand before her. _Not good._

The first of the two was shorter but still considerably taller than her, his silver hair was slicked back; he wielded the scythe. She knew that he had uttered the outburst because his amethyst eyes were still wide and his jaw was hanging open slightly.

The more imposing of the two was a good head taller than his companion and kept his apathetic silence before speaking in a gravelly tone, "Shut up you fool."

"But Kakuzu! She killed the bounty we were after!" the loud mouth whined, gesturing to the dead ninja that Akemi was still standing over.

"Yes, she did our job for us. You should be grateful considering your always complaining about having to chase bounties with me."

"Yeah but-" The man stopped abruptly apparently finding it pointless to argue.

Akemi observed their rather one-sided bickering before she noticed their attire. Black cloaks with distinctive scarlet clouds. _Looks like my luck has finally turned up._

"You're Akatsuki right?" she questioned with an air of nonchalance as she moved to retrieve the kunai still buried hilt-deep in a tree.

The two men shared a brief glance before the silver haired man answered.

"That's fucking right, heard of us have you?"

The girl's green eyes skimmed over his handsome face before nodding. The Akatsuki addressed as 'Kakuzu' glared down at her and she had the feeling his mask was hiding a scowl.

"I heard you were recruiting?" Akemi pressed, daring to move closer to the two cloaked figures.

"You heard correctly. Should I take your inquiry as a sign of your interest?" Kakuzu asked.

"Yes."

"Wait just a fucking minute! What makes you so damn interested in us anyway?" interjected Kakuzu's partner.

"Hidan." The masked man turned to his shorter companion, his voice held a threat.

"Okay, okay," Hidan conceded, throwing his hands up in front of him in a defensive position.

Despite how he silenced the other man, Akemi got the distinct impression that he wanted to know as well so she chose to answer the question rather than let it hang in the stagnant air.

"What can I say, I'm an advocate of world peace through domination." She said the words in a honeyed tone, attempting to be charming. It succeeded as an amused grin flashed across Hidan's face.

"I guess we can take you back with us, you did take that guy down pretty fucking easily. Besides, if you're not worth it we can just kill you."

Akemi returned his smile despite the threat which she recognized as more of a promise really. If she didn't prove worthy of their organization she knew they wouldn't hesitate to end her life. Their hands were already drenched in blood, what was one more insignificant woman?

Kakuzu was the first to move, hoisting the dead shinobi across his broad shoulders like he was nothing more than a sack of flour. He seemed to grimace at the lack of finesse evident in her kill. She rolled her eyes, he wasn't impressed. Not yet anyway. She smirked, imagining the look on his face when she revealed her kekkei genkai. It wasn't difficult to envision considering people's expressions were often the same. It was usually shock and perhaps the slightest traces of _fear_.

* * *

They travelled for a few days, leaving Fire country and entering the Rain. The trip was mostly quiet, well, as quiet as it could get with Hidan's constant outbursts. She learned quickly that he had a short temper and held very little respect for much of anything except Jashin. That's right, he was a Jashinist. She sighed, listening to him screech his prayers to no one in particular.

After a while he was finally silenced by a particularly menacing look from Kakuzu. The towering man remained a mystery to her. He didn't talk much unless it was to offer a cynical retort to Hidan's insistent blathering. Akemi could not figure out what made him tick for the life of her.

The scarlet haired woman did her best to endure as a quiet entity although she found it more difficult than she had imagined. She was quiet by nature but around Hidan she discovered the need to keep her words under a tight leash. It was obvious even to her that Kakuzu had reached his limit on the amount of annoyance he could bear. She did not want to risk adding to that load.

Akemi was thankful when they finally reached the base after dropping off the dead man at a collection office and watched as the Akatsuki members performed a few complex hand signs before the a doorway appeared in the rock. They stepped through first, beckoning her to follow and she did so without hesitation. She had taken the trip to mentally prepare herself for what was sure to be a daunting test of skill.

Her vivid green eyes flickered around, adjusting quickly to the dimly lit passages. The area seemed empty at first glance but then she noticed a rather chilling man. He had a shock of brilliant orange hair and his face was covered in piercings. He addressed them first.

"Kakuzu, Hidan, you've returned. I thought I recognized a third chakra sign. Who is she." he spoke with no infliction and his face did not reveal any hint of emotion either. Akemi could feel his ringed lavender eyes boring into her, making her shift uncomfortably.

"Leader-sama, we happened across this woman while we were chasing down the shinobi. She killed him before we got to him and upon recognizing us indicated her interest in joining the Akatsuki," Kakuzu explained gruffly.

"I see. Do you think she will be of use to us?"

"I believe so. She has a strong presence although I have not seen her fight yet."

"Very well, send her to Sasori for evaluation. But first, what is your name?"

Akemi had paid very close attention to the way Kakuzu called the intimidating man 'leader' and figured she should mimic his respect.

"Akemi Kaguya," she responded with a humble bow.

"Kaguya..." he spoke the name before giving a curt nod of his head to send the three onward. _I have heard of that clan, I wonder if she possesses the Shikotsumyaku. If so she may make an interesting addition to the Akatsuki._

* * *

"Seems like you've got some fucking luck to be facing up against Sasori," Hidan laughed.

He walked beside her and slightly in front so he could guide her to Sasori's room where the puppet master would most likely be. He strode with his hands behind his head and his face tilted toward the ceiling although the Jashinist was watching her out of the corner of his eye. _She's pretty hot actually._

"Hidan-san, why is that?" she huffed and he realized this was the second time she had asked that question.

He turned his face to the side so as not to be distracted again before answering. "He's just a pretty fucking weird guy."

Akemi smiled and looked up at him, seeing only his profile since he had turned away. Kakuzu had left to deposit the collected bounty into the treasury and that left Hidan to show her to this new man's room. She had to admit, she was a bit nervous at the thought of facing off against one of the famed Akatsuki. The ruby haired woman knew better than to underestimate them so as they approached a closed door and Hidan stopped she reminded herself to keep an open mind.

The Jashinist didn't bother to knock, he just slammed open the door. _God, he has no manners, _Akemi thought before taking a peek inside as Hidan stepped into the large bedroom.

She noticed the decor first. The room was made of the same material as the rest of the hideout, carved out rock. However, there was one distinct difference in this room. There were puppets lining the walls, parts strewn across the floor haphazardly as though they had been recently worked with. An oak desk littered with more scraps stood in the far left corner and sitting in the chair in front of it with his back toward them was a man with messy cinnamon hair.

"Hey, Leader wants you to evaluate this bitch for possible recruitment," Hidan demanded, pointing behind him to indicate Akemi.

The man rose from his chair and turned to face the intruders. Akemi's lime green eyes widened involuntarily as she took in his features. He had a surprisingly youthful face although she was certain he was not as young as he looked. His chocolate eyes were set beneath thick lashes and his cinnamon hair framed his delicate face perfectly.

He was definitely attractive, there was no denying that. Sasori differed from Hidan, who she also thought very handsome, drastically. Where Hidan was tall and heavily muscled, the former was only an inch or so taller than her and possessed a much leaner form. Yet there was something so much more deadly radiating from him. He was dangerous, there was no mistaking that.

She felt his chocolate eyes scan over her, assessing her with one glance before looking back to Hidan.

"I'll take her to the training ground now. Tell Leader-sama I will have her evaluated by tonight."

His voice was cold and hollow, his eyes drifting back to her in a lazy manner. She couldn't help but notice how flat his gaze was, as if his eyes were made of glass. She felt a chill creep up her spine for the second time that day. It had started happening to her a lot more often since she encountered the Akatsuki.

Akemi began to think that this challenge would be even greater than she had initially thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, third chapter, let me know what you think.

R&R please, I'd love to see some more interest! Thanks for the nice review by the way, Guest! c:

**THE BLACK KING**

Chapter Three: Passion in Her Eyes

* * *

The training grounds were a spacious area with willowy grass that grew up to ankle height. There was plenty of room for maneuverability though much to Akemi's disdain the territory lacked any form of cover. It would be nearly impossible to hide should she need to, the exception being a sparse grouping of trees off to the side. It would have to do.

She specialized in close range battle, unable to perform the majority of ninjutsu attacks. Her opponent, judging by the amount of macabre puppets displayed in his room, preferred to do his fighting from a distance. Her speed would be helpful here, her long legs might even be her saving grace.

The two stood facing each other in the middle of the field, his brown eyes locked on her green ones. He wasn't sure what to expect from her. She gave nothing away really, there was no obvious clue that would unravel the mysteries of her fighting style. Sasori was weary with the knowledge that she had the advantage as she had caught a glimpse into his world when she stepped foot into his room.

However, she knew nothing about the poisons he specialized in concocting and that assurance put his mind at ease. Chances were she would be caught off guard by the adeptness in which he used his puppets and the cinnamon haired man would be able to land an easy blow to her with a venomous sword.

_It'll be over before it even begins _he mused, drawing the scroll for Hiruko out of his cloak.

Akemi's vivid eyes were glued to the roll of paper, examining the inked kanji as he flicked the scroll open to summon... a mechanized puppet. An ugly one at that. She gawked as the Akatsuki climbed into the repulsive creature. _So that's his defense. _

She surveyed it, looking for a weak point but found none. Her options were limited but she knew a direct hit with one of her chakra imbued bones would slice the four legged thing right open. Her strategic thinking was ended by the deep groan of the puppet's voice.

"Go."

* * *

He moved first, lashing out with Hiruko's metallic scorpion tail. The edge glistened dangerously with poison, a simple but effective paralytic that he chose for convenience sake. Besides, he couldn't go butchering potential recruits. Well, unless they proved unworthy, which he presumed this girl would.

Akemi watched as the weapon's end rushed towards her, waiting for it to near her before pushing off against the ground and into the air. She soared several feet above where the weapon impacted, twisting her body around in order to shoot a bone lance at the tail's poisoned tip. She made sure to fill the bone with calcium while it was still in her wrist so it would be denser and therefore harder than the metal.

The lance went straight through the target and impaled the ground deep enough to keep the tail pinned and useless. She smirked tasting what was sure to be a quick victory. Akemi landed solidly on her feet attention now focused on the body of the puppet still standing motionless in front of her.

Her feelings of superiority quickly dissolved as she heard the rustle and screech of a pronged tail pulling out of the ground. When it whipped towards her again she saw that she had not missed, there was a hole from where the bone had pierced the steel. Not having time to dodge the attack, Akemi's kekkei genkai surged to protect her, a reinforned bone shield sprouting from the arm she chose to block with.

Now understanding the incredible strength Hiruko possessed she knew she couldn't just bind the limb, no, she would have to slice it straight off. That was the only way she would be able to get near the actual vessel. With its long range defense she would have a difficult time destroying the puppet without first immobilizing its lengthy tail. She smiled, impressed at the skilled craftsmanship.

Sasori gritted his teeth in sheer annoyance. His adversary could evade his attacks with ease, that was obvious. He would not be outwitted by this girl, something inside him clenched at the very thought. She had a very interesting ability though, one he had not seen before. In some ways he supposed this asset made her inhuman, like himself.

"How courageous, facing death with a smile." Akemi could sense the scorn that layered the words.

"I won't be dying here," she rebuked, spiraling out of range as he flicked the tail towards her again. This time however she pushed her momentum forward, racing towards the appendage.

Bone shot out from her wrist forming a blade attached to her arm. It had a soft blue glow, a result of her funneling chakra into it. He attempted to pull Hiruko's tail back but the reaction wasn't quick enough. She severed the last few links of the weapon, sending them crashing in the other direction. Akemi had noticed the poison as she sprinted nearer to it. _So he's got other tricks, huh?_

She continued toward the puppet's main body, not even bothering to slow down after dismantling its tail. She had to destroy it now before the cinnamon haired man revealed any more nasty surprises.

Sasori bared his teeth, shooting dozens of poisoned senbons from another compartment on Hiruko's body.

Akemi didn't change course. She ran head on toward the mass of senbons before jumping into the air once again. This time however, she pushed chakra from into her feet so she could glide over the attack. She landed behind the puppet and gave Sasori no time to block as she shifted all of her chakra to her right leg. Using her supreme taijutsu, she swung the leg around to bash into Hiruko then watched as the force sent the wooden creature flying into one of the trees. It shattered on impact.

Akemi's breath came in huffs as the battle came to a brief pause. She knew better than to assume this was the end. There was no way that deadly man would let her get off so easily. She watched as he rose fluidly to his feet, his cloak slightly torn at the hem.

The puppet master glanced down at the fragments of his beloved Hiruko. He smirked inwardly, mildly impressed at the girl's strength. She was promising, but as he had decided earlier, he would not submit to such a young candidate. He was better than her by far.

The Kaguya girl brushed her silky hair away from her eyes, panting as she saw Sasori pull a second scroll from his cloak. From this one sprung forth another of his creations. It looked especially lifelike and its glazed eyes sent a chill down Akemi's spine. Something about its humanity unnerved her. Her eyes scanned over its body, from its spiky black hair to the enormous furred coat that concealed its body.

"Now you meet the Third Kazekage, my personal favorite," Sasori said, a sadistic edge to his voice.

The title didn't hold much meaning to her but she knew that the Kages from all the lands were revered shinobi. She got the distinct feeling that the puppet was in fact crafted from the actual human being, which she assumed he had brought down himself. She swallowed hard as he sneered at her.

His fingers moved with the at an astonishing pace and it took all of her speed and skill to avoid the impressively agile attacks that followed. The human puppet lashed out at her again and again with the sword it held clenched in its hand. The edge was coated in the same toxin as Hiruko's tail and she was careful to avoid it, if she got even the smallest scrape it was all _over_.

When he withdrew the puppet she wheezed quietly, trying to draw in as much air as she could to prepare for the next series of attacks. However, what followed surprised her. A dark sandy material began to flow from the puppet's open mouth. She was stricken with horror at heart but her face reflected a calm that had long since been banished.

The iron sand levitated around the two cloaked figures like some sort of malignant apparition.

Then it began to move. Slowly at first but it quickened until it resembled a swarm of bees beginning to cluster in front of the Third Kazekage. Akemi hesitated, unsure of what was happening.

"You've managed to avoid combat attacks with ease. But how will you deal with something not so readily dodged?" His words crept into her mind like spiders, spinning webs of fear and doubt.

She wasn't easily daunted, if this had been any other opponent she would have grinned at the challenge; there was just something about the puppet master. Something sinister, something _inhuman_.

As the sand rushed toward her, forming a dense iron cube, she nearly missed the attack from behind. She hadn't even noticed the puppet move! It simply appeared behind her as if it had never been anywhere else. Its blade shot towards her. The iron sand had been a trick to draw her attention away from the real threat... Sasori was a clever man.

Very clever.

Akemi didn't have time to fully dodge both attacks. She chose to take the blade over getting crushed by a giant metal cube. It was a reasonable choice, at least she had a chance of survival. The sword left a nasty gash across her arm, but she was more concerned about the toxins now spreading throughout her bloodstream.

"It's over," Sasori noted as she fell to the ground.

Her knees were weak, her body felt rigid and stiff from the paralytic substance. Images of Orochimaru flashed across her glazed green eyes. She saw the familiar malice in his face, recalled her promise not to disappoint him. Now here she was laying in the soft grass, poison rushing through her body. She thought of Hanako and Kabuto and the way they both had such warm, genuine smiles around her.

"No," she denied through gritted teeth. "No, it's _not_."

She pushed herself to her feet, knowing that losing this battle meant her losing her life. Meant losing everything she had worked so hard for. She swayed dangerously but remained standing.

Her ruby hair hung in her eyes and around her face which he now noticed looked so fragile in the dying sunlight. When he met her eyes he saw a new fierceness in them. They were no longer misted over. No, they were like windows now, allowing him a glimpse inside her soul. He saw _fire_ there.

Sasori allowed a smirk to come over his face. It had been so long since he had seen such a fire raging inside a person before. And now here he was, walking towards this battered girl, the last place he would have expected to find it.

"You pass," he declared, steadying her by putting a hand on one of her delicate shoulders.

She looked up at him through her hair, unsure if she heard correctly. After a moment of processing his words she knew she had. She hadn't beaten him but she had revealed her strong determination and her _more_ than adequate skills. Her body trembled beneath his light grip.

Akemi smiled and although he did not return the expression, Sasori's eyes softened slightly.

_She may not be perfect but she held her own against me and her potential is unmistakable as is the passion in her eyes _he thought as he led her back into the musty lair. He gazed at the lackluster walls, a thoughtful look breaking his normally bored façade. _What an intriguing girl._

* * *

After he dropped her off in the medical bay where he instructed Deidara to give her a syringe full of the antidote to his paralytic poison, Sasori continued down the halls towards Leader's room. The moon was shining by now and he had promised to report to Pein by then.

As he knocked on the heavy oak door a smooth masculine voice bid him come in. He opened the door and walked into the room, immediately feeling himself being immersed in the leader's chilling presence. Although he did not fear the man per se, he did no better than to disrespect him by marching into his shadowy room.

"Oh, Sasori, have you finished with the girl?"

"Yes, she's resting in the medical room now."

"What is your evaluation?"

"She has a remarkable potential. I recommend her as our new member."

"Excellent. Tell me, did she have a unique kekkei genkai?"

Sasori's fiery eyebrows knit together in response to the question. Akemi did have an unusual ability to mend her own bone structure and create fresh bone, as well as adjust its density to make it thick or porous. He supposed that was her kekkei genkai but how did Leader know already?

"Yes," was all he said, his tone not conveying the confusion he felt.

"I thought she might, she is a member of Kaguya clan after all."

The Kaguya clan? So that was her ancestry? It made perfect sense. That would explain her odd talents, she had inherited the Shikotsumyaku. _How fascinating._

"Thank you Sasori, you may leave now. Tell me when Akemi awakes."

"Yes Leader-sama."

He turned to leave then, his cinnamon hair swaying as he walked away from the unusually cold room.

* * *

He found himself heading toward the medical room despite his belief that she would not regain consciousness until morning. Inside he saw the silvery blonde hair of his partner. The empty syringe still in his hand as he sat at a chair beside the small bed where Akemi lay. He seemed to be watching the rhythmic movement of her breathing.

"Deidara, why are you still here?" he more demanded than asked.

"I just thought I'd keep an eye on her, just in case she wakes up yeah," he explained looking up at his redheaded friend who had come to stand beside him.

"She probably won't be up until tomorrow, she got a heavy dose of my poison."

"Then why did you come back, yeah?"

Sasori opened his mouth to reply but then paused, unsure. He hadn't thought about it, he had just wandered back in. He wasn't sure why his feet had brought him back here but he assumed it was probably to make sure she was still alive. Deidara didn't wait for him to answer.

"By the way, I wanted to show you my newest work un!" The blonde flashed a blinding smile, his single blue eye now glistening with excitement.

"I told you, nothing you make is art. Art is eternal and will outlast us all," Sasori corrected, scowling.

"I love you Sasori No Danna but you have no idea what art is. It's one fleeting moment, art is a _bang_!"

Sasori let out an exasperated sigh before turning away from the annoying brat.

"I'm going back to my room, I don't have the energy to explain what art is to you tonight."

With that he passed through the doorway and went back to his bedroom. He didn't plan on sleeping because it was unnecessary considering his puppet body. Instead he supposed he'd begin piecing Hiruko back together before he was sent on another mission. _How bothersome. _

Deidara stayed a few moments longer, watching the peaceful girl with somewhat of a childlike interest in what she was dreaming about, if she even was dreaming. Then he stood up and went back to his own room, leaving the ruby haired girl to sleep.


End file.
